Where’s Justice, America?

September 14, 2014

This theory sounds reasonable on surface: “Don’t upset the apple cart to extract a few bad ones. Keep the cart upright, because disrupting government at any level to prosecute high-profiles will only lead to future retaliation – further unsettling the country.” Nixon’s early-exit somehow haunts Democrats more than Republicans – only because they realize Republicans stick to an unending vendetta, despite the fact Nixon’s crimes against democracy were proven beyond a reasonable doubt (and on-tape, none-the-less).

On the other hand, those that sweep crimes under the rug are as guilty as the criminal who commits them. (Or, so assert legal pundits.) The other moral motto, “A few rotten apples spoil the barrel,” never registers with Democrats – whose eyes are on political winds rather than the storm of corruption. Inevitably, the carnage of justice leads to national turmoil. At this point there’s no escaping the tempest.

When are the war criminals and treasonous perpetrators of false wars going to face trial – or even a peripheral investigation? The millions of lives lost, Bush’s fictitious wars (which triggered the creation of ISIS), the trillions lost from the treasury, the loss of national prestige, economic collapse, and (finally) government gridlock that doesn’t allow full recovery for fear the “other” party might gain – all brought to us by these thieves … Where’s justice?

However, high-profile Republicans of former fame are immune from such, but only because Democrats who follow are more fearful of disturbing “government continuity” than of butchering justice. Democratic leaders created the unwritten immunity policy thinking they were doing themselves a favor [not that the country would be better off if tolerating treason, torture and treachery].

In hindsight, one can see clearly where Obama went wrong – after eight long years of flirtations with pre-emptive appeasement and gifts of conciliation at the expense of a stunned progressive base. His eyesight was impaired by visions of harmonious sugar plums. The future President’s 2004 “Red State / Blue State Speech” was an idealistic dream turned into a nightmare. How many years did it take to awaken to harsh reality: “There’s no redeeming the unredeemable.” Their self-induced hate for the man (and all things African-American plus Democratic) is mortal. Cults can only be cured by Waco fires or Jonestown poison. There’s no de-programming the willful of falsehoods.

Of course, prior to his illness, Atwater made an indelible mark on the Republican Party for three decades by codifying Nixon’s “Southern Stratedy,” a policy especially used today to subtly slander the President, African-Americans, unions, and Democrats in general.

Apology by Atwater? Karl and the Koch brothers will never follow suit. There is no repentance with the self-righteous – who think they’re “God’s anointed, on a mission to eradicate undesirables.” They will never admit ill-intent.

Barack Obama’s patience endured for far too long; his congeniality and likability were turned into liabilities by the machine. There was no effective hatchet man to rebut, no plain-spoken surrogate, to refute their constant lies about the President, his policies, and his party. Without an effective rapid-response team, Obama was mortally wounded by FOX and Limbaugh politically who rolled right over him time-after-time without resistance (at least, resistance that could articulate so the public could readily understand). In the rightwing’s process of deliberately character assassinating the President, the nation was wounded and classified “collateral damage.”

Meanwhile – echoing in countless “conservative” circles – Republicans deafeningly applaud the execution of innocents and guilty alike in Perry’s gallows. Yet the true Texas crooks go free – George W., Turdblossom Rove, and Halliburton’s Cheney. Surely, Republican judges will eventually dismiss all charges against Rick Perry – for, is he not one of their own? Justice is unjust when the affluent are on trial. “Affluenza” is a Republican disease, grounds for immunity and expunging past wrongs.

Cheney will never face justice, at least not in this life. He'll die first of a bad heart, literally and figuratively. A stable national image means more to the White House for all time than serving justice to any elite – even of the opposing party. [Is this also true in Tony Blair’s Britain?]

How did Cheney avoid justice? Firstly, rightwingers are combative defenders of their own. Secondly, leftwingers will never pursue justice against high-profile opponents, much less defend their own successfully against unfounded barbs from the hateful right. They have no guts. Impeachment is only “off-the-table” when Dems are in power and fear reprisal, even if high crimes and misdemeanors were clearly committed (as in George Bush’s case).

But Republicans take the opposite approach: “Impeach him even if he’s done no wrong.” Thus, America is caught in a vice between the brainless and the ball-less. Washington's gridlock is a manifestation of a deeper schism in this nation. The historic fault lines are in motion again, and we are all feeling the quakes. Gridlock’s victims are ‘We the People.’

The Senate hangs in balance and could swing either way. Too many liberals are too lazy at mid-terms – another characteristic of the ball-less. Ferguson alone is not enough to attract millions to the polls to overcome gerrymandered districts and voter suppression. Attention deficit disorder is pandemic. The steeply rising execution-style murders of young African-Americans is summarily dismissed by the vast majority of Republicans; while most Democrats simply wring their hands with little follow-up. What will ignite the fires of justice and democracy into motivating Democrats and independents into going-to-the-polls?

The right is successful only because they are determined. Like a rock. Plus they're full of religion, albeit the hateful derivative which fuels the movement.

The left is a failure only because it is undetermined and indecisive. Like a wet noodle. Plus it has no set moral clarity to give it political authority. The left has no religion, per se, just an ambiguous acceptance, a situational ethics standard never certain.

The other side is a false cult. They base decisions on myths set by skewed tradition and corrupt corporate influence. But fallacy is no factor; perseverance overcomes defective product. It's proven over four decades of American politics. Rove knows it; why don’t Democrats? It takes a salesman to sell product, not passive backroom clerks.

One side is based on facts and logic. But truth is no guarantee to success in today's climate. Lack of tenacity defeats good intentions. If only we had a Truman, Rogers, or Roosevelt leading the charge. But we don't. Our leaders capitulate and wave the white flag before the actual battle begins. There is no voice of strong reason, no one to speak truth to power (with the notable exception of Elizabeth Warren). Anthony Weiner did but got caught playing with his. Democratic leaders capitulated; rightwingers conquered.

We’re stuck betwixt meanies & wienies.

We waited and waited for our Knight in Shining Armor to rescue us from the Evil Empire of the Right.... only to be sorely disappointed when that Knight turned on us in quest of acceptance from enemies determined to destroy him (and us). We've been thrown under the bus for the sake of an attempt.... an experiment to persuade the Right of its evil ways and appeal to their better angels (which they have none) to come to the table in good faith and compromise to achieve solutions. We told our Knight over and over it wouldn't work. But he refused to listen. He does now, but too late. Now we're in pickle.

The image of a U.S. President besieged by the Republican Party only emboldens tyrants, such as Vladimir Putin or ISIS. What’s next? The Republic of China annexing Taiwan?

The signal that our President is already a lame-duck politically from the relentless, baseless beatings he receives from enemies within will only encourage mischief by our enemies abroad. It used to be that political leaders voluntarily refrained from criticizing a president when facing a foreign emergency. The unwritten rule was: “During crisis, never take your criticism of the President beyond American shores.” Republicans have shattered that imperative into a million pieces, and, in so doing, have tarnished our image internationally, making us look weak, divided, and indecisive. Tyrants have been gifted with a green-light to move forward. The world order, as Kissinger explains, is in danger of collapsing. Thank you, short-sighted Republicans.

Whether it’s foreign or domestic, Republicans are champions of gridlock. Their power as a party ranks above power as a nation. No one who listens intently hears any words positive for the country coming out of their mouths.

Justice denied will lead America further down the path to decline. Ferguson and thousands of other racially-inspired incidents DO matter. Failure to prosecute the Bush era’s errors will certainly lead to a repeat of 2008’s crash, followed by fascism leading to civil unrest and Third World status. One evil begets another if not weeded from its roots. Obama has been reluctant to weed up until recently; so, America proceeds down the path. Meanwhile overseas, wild fires ignite – with promise that America will again be sucked into endless conflict.